A STEM Virtual Lab to Improve Girls’ Attitude Towards Technology

Katherine Vergara

Pontif

ıcia Universidad Cat

olica de Chile, Chile

Keywords:

STEM, Online Learning, Virtual Lab, Girls, Computer Science.

Abstract:

The persistent gender gap in technology has prompted initiatives to attract girls to this area. While virtual

labs are useful tools for facilitating STEM education, most approaches focus on speciﬁc STEM areas, such

as chemistry or physics. This study proposes an integrated STEM approach to improve girls’ attitudes

towards technology careers. The study involved the development and testing of a STEM virtual laboratory

that allowed girls to experiment with technology components, apply engineering concepts, and use math to

solve science-based exercises in one place. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were used to assess

attitudes towards different STEM areas. The results indicated that girls had a more positive attitude towards

science compared to other STEM areas before the intervention. However, after the intervention, the girls in the

intervention group had a signiﬁcantly better attitude towards technology than the control group, and were also

more inclined towards a technology career. These ﬁndings suggest that an integrated STEM approach could be

beneﬁcial for improving girls’ attitudes towards technology, while also improving perceptions towards other

STEM topics. Although the study’s sample size was small, the ﬁndings provide preliminary evidence of the

potential beneﬁts of an integrated STEM approach for improving gender diversity in technology.

1 INTRODUCTION

The underrepresentation of women in technology

ﬁelds has led to a widening gender gap. Notably,

the percentage of women pursuing technology studies

in the United States has declined from 37% in the

1980s to 20% in 2020 (Lynkova, 2021). Similarly,

in Chile, women constitute only 20% of those

pursuing technology careers 2020 (CTCI, 2020). This

underrepresentation is problematic, not only due to

the lack of diversity that stunts creativity (Franklin,

2013), but also because of the missed opportunity

for economic development for women and their

respective countries (Berlien et al., 2016; Fern

andez

et al., 2021).

In response to the widening gender gap in

technology, a number of initiatives have emerged

in Chile’s non-formal education sector aimed at

encouraging school-aged girls to pursue careers in

this ﬁeld (BHP Foundation, 2021; UNESCO, 2021).

These initiatives are geared towards the development

of technical skills, such as programming, circuits or

robotics as a means of promoting gender diversity in

the technology sector, i.e. Laboratoria, Ni

nas Pro,

Kodea, Technovation, Educar Chile, among others.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0751-9492

However, in computer science education, may be

a predominant emphasis on technical, conceptual,

and epistemological knowledge, with an underlying

assumption that this knowledge is neutral in nature

(Patitsas, 2013). Nonetheless, the meaningfulness of

such knowledge is contingent upon its adaptation to

the characteristics of the learners and their approaches

to learning (Herrenkohl et al., 2019).

An approach to adapt computer science learning

to girls is integrating their technical learning with

more accessible subjects (Jain et al., 2022). This

study presents a virtual laboratory that aims to reduce

the gender gap by using science as a hook to attract

girls in middle school toward technology, math, and

engineering, based in previous research about virtual

laboratories and girls (Braswell et al., 2021). The aim

of the study is to understand whether there will be

an enhancement in girls’ attitudes toward technology,

engineering, and math if we include a science-based

approach.

This study proposes three hypotheses:

(1) Girls will have a better attitude toward

science than engineering, math, and technology in the

pre-survey.

(2) In the post-survey, an enhancement in attitude

towards technology, engineering, and math will be

128

Vergara, K.

A STEM Virtual Lab to Improve Girls’ Attitude Towards Technology.

DOI: 10.5220/0012038200003470

In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2023) - Volume 1, pages 128-134

ISBN: 978-989-758-641-5; ISSN: 2184-5026

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

seen in the group that uses the virtual laboratory.

(3) Girls will be more willing to choose a career

in STEM post-intervention.

2 RELATED WORK

Numerous initiatives are in place to increase the

number of girls pursuing careers in computer science.

However, numbers remains low as technical skills

are not always appalling for girls. Girls are

subject to a ”collective programming” (Hofstede,

2011), which comprises psychosocially constructed

and learned beliefs. Through interactions with

others, biases, stereotypes, and negative affective

responses towards computer science are internalized,

which in turn generates a negative affective state

towards technology and related careers for many girls

(Charters et al., 2014).

These gender stereotypes typically become

established between the ages of 7 and 11 (Banse

et al., 2010). The optimal time for positive

intervention may be around 12-13 years old; at this

age, stereotypes can still be challenged (Robnett and

Leaper, 2013), while opportunities to do so decrease

from 14 years old onwards (Khan and Rodrigues,

2016). As individuals age, the regulation of gender

bias becomes more difﬁcult, even when they are

aware of the stereotype (Radvansky et al., 2010).

One approach to changing the attitudes of girls

towards computer science may involve incorporating

more engaging subject matter, as there is evidence to

suggest that combining different areas of STEM for

educational purposes can be advantageous (Strobel,

2011; Flynn, 2011), e.g. combining math and science

has positive effects ((Kurt and Pehlivan, 2013; Hurley,

2001; Pang and Good, 2010). In this scenario, there

is an opportunity to study how science can enhance

the learning of the other three areas of STEM, as

there is evidence that girls feel closer to science.

For instance, Chile has no difference in standard

science tests among girls and boys (ACE, 2019). This

situation can be encounter in most countries (Stoet

and Geary, 2018).

However, the incorporation of science

experiments in education can be costly due to the

nature of science education being highly reliant on

experimentation. Hands-on activities are expensive,

which has given rise to the development of virtual

laboratories (Steidley and Bachnak, 2005).

A virtual lab is a type of online platform that

allows students to simulate laboratory experiments

and conduct scientiﬁc investigations in a virtual

environment (Kﬁr, 2001). It typically consists of

a suite of computer-based tools and resources that

enable learners to explore scientiﬁc concepts, carry

out experiments, and analyze data in real-time.

Virtual laboratories also reduce hazard risks, allow

autonomous experimentation, and are an option

for students in rural areas (Aljuhani et al., 2018).

Additionally, virtual education were critical for

STEM education during the pandemic (Radhamani

et al., 2021)

Virtual laboratories have been used for

engineering (Perales et al., 2019), electronics

(Evstatiev et al., 2019), and mechatronics (Vitliemov

et al., 2020). Also other organizations have a

wide range of laboratories, e.g. PhET interactive

simulations, Labster o Laband in Physics, Chemistry,

Math, Earth Science, and Biology.

However, all of these virtual laboratories focus on

only one subject at a time, while this project combines

the four STEM areas into one single laboratory.

3 METHODOLOGY

3.1 STEM Virtual Laboratory

In 2021, the Chilean Foundation Ingeniosas

developed the STEM virtual laboratory, which

was created with three crucial principles in mind:

(1) It was designed to comply with the laws of

physics and nature.

(2) It was created with an intuitive interface that

is accessible to students with varying levels of digital

skills.

(3) It allows students to combine science,

technology, engineering, and math in a single

experiment.

This Spanish-language, open-access tool offers

a blank workspace and a palette of elements on

the left-hand side, accompanied by step-by-step

instructional videos, providing a user-friendly

interface. The STEM virtual lab was designed

similarly to other virtual laboratories that were

analyzed during the preliminary design phase.

The STEM virtual laboratory is a comprehensive

tool that offers a wide range of components, including

resistors, batteries, LEDs, and materials like water,

vinegar, and ice. This feature allows students to

experiment with technology and apply mathematical

and engineering concepts to solve science-based

problems. In addition, students can create prototypes

using a protoboard or a white canvas within the virtual

space and connect them with jumpers, allowing for

a hands-on experience in a simulated environment

(Figure 1).

A STEM Virtual Lab to Improve Girls’ Attitude Towards Technology

129

Figure 1: The lab’s interface with a zoom to show the

boiling water.

Also, the student can change the orientation of

the pieces or change the colors of the LED and the

jumpers, zoom in and out and erase and save the work

in progress, as in other virtual labs.

The STEM lab provides students with the

opportunity to learn and explore scientiﬁc concepts

and principles in a virtual environment. Through

the platform, teachers can access instructions and

class plans, which outline speciﬁc experiments and

exercises to conduct in the classroom. These include

astronomy and earth sciences problems that require

the use of engineering, math, and technology to be

solved.

In addition to following the teachers

instructions, students can also engage in self-guided

experimentation by accessing videos that offer

exercises to guide their experimentation. This allows

them to work autonomously and at their own pace,

while still receiving the support and guidance needed

to conduct experiments successfully.

Furthermore, the STEM lab also allow for

student-led experimentation, giving them the freedom

to propose their own experiments and problems to

solve. This provides a unique opportunity for students

to develop critical thinking skills and to explore their

own interests within the ﬁeld of STEM. (Figure 2).

3.2 Experimental Setup

This study used a STEM attitude scale designed for

school-age children, evaluating attitude and effect on

a future career choice at a particular moment (Benek

and Akcay, 2019). Assistance to the intervention was

not mandatory by the school. The participants were

students at an all-girls middle school in a low-income

context in Chile. A class of 38 students was invited

and subsequently divided into two random groups: a

control and an intervention group.

Figure 2: STEM virtual laboratory in use.

Table 1 shows the number of participants and

survey responses obtained for both groups; On the day

of the intervention, 15 students from the control group

and 13 from the intervention group participated. In

the control group, 13 ﬁlled the pre-survey, 8 ﬁlled the

post-survey, and 8 girls ﬁlled both surveys. In the

intervention group, 11 ﬁlled the pre-survey, 9 ﬁlled

the post-survey, and 8 girls ﬁlled both surveys. Only

the responses of the girls who ﬁlled out both surveys

were used for the analyses.

The experimental design involved the random

assignment of participants to either a control

or intervention group. The topic of circuits

was chosen because it is a fundamental concept

covered in the Technology curriculum, which aligns

with the academic curricula of Chile for this

particular age group. Understanding circuits is

crucial for students to comprehend the fundamental

principles of technology and engineering, as it

provides the foundation for the design and function

of various electronic devices. By focusing on

circuits, students can develop critical thinking and

problem-solving skills while exploring the principles

of electrical circuits, such as voltage, current, and

resistance, which are essential to modern technology.

Furthermore, understanding circuits is beneﬁcial to

students as it can lead to a greater appreciation of the

impact of technology on society and the world around

them.

The control group attended a conventional

workshop that focused solely on the technical aspects

of circuits, using a virtual circuits lab. This workshop

followed a traditional epistemic education approach,

without integrating any science content.

In contrast, the intervention group participated

in a STEM workshop that integrated the concept

of circuits with a science subject, using the STEM

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130

Table 1: Responses to survey questions.

Group Total Participants Pre-survey Post-survey Responses to both surveys

Control 15 13 8 8

Intervention 13 11 9 8

virtual lab. The goal was to foster interdisciplinary

learning and connect circuits with scientiﬁc concepts.

Both workshops followed a similar instructional

format, beginning with an introduction to the task at

hand and a discussion of how technology can support

education. The existence and beneﬁts of virtual

labs were also explained, as some students had not

previously used them. The instructor then delivered a

didactic presentation, encompassing an introduction

to circuits, a demonstration of how to navigate the

interface, and an explanation of the fundamental

properties of various components, including LED,

jumpers, battery, resistance, and button. Also,

the STEM workshop incorporated a Bunsen burner

among its components. Moreover, both workshops

were facilitated by the same female instructor, and

relied on identical graphical design for on-screen

instructions.

After the initial introduction, students in the

control group were challenged to build a circuit to

turn on an LED by pressing a button. Students in the

STEM workshop were challenged to create a circuit

to demonstrate how changes in states of matter from

liquid to gas happen using an LED and a Button.

In the control group, students turned on an LED

by connecting a resistance and a button to a battery.

Every time they pushed the button, the light would

turn on, indicating that the experiment was successful.

At the intervention group the students needed

to develop a prototype that would increase the

temperature of a beaker with water to reach the

boiling point, applying engineering, electronics, and

math concepts to assemble the prototype. Students

press a button each time they want to turn on the

LED, which increases the temperature of the water by

10ºC. The students must apply engineering concepts

to decide how to build the prototype and electronics

knowledge to turn on the Bunsen burner. Moreover,

students use math to answer questions such as How

many grades more do we need to get to 100ºC? How

many times do we have to push the button if every time

we push it, the temperature increases by 10ºC?

Both classes culminated with the same brief

presentation on career paths within STEM,

including information on the corresponding academic

institutions.

4 RESULTS

Prior to conducting the experiment, a pre-survey

was administered, and the results showed that both

the intervention and control groups had a similar

attitude toward science, which was higher than

their attitude toward other STEM areas, as depicted

in Figure 3. While the control group had a

slightly better attitude toward math and technology,

and the intervention group had a slightly worse

attitude toward engineering, these differences were

not statistically signiﬁcant.

Figure 3: Pre-survey attitudes of control and intervention

groups.

Following the intervention, another survey was

administered to both groups, and the data was

compared. The results indicated a signiﬁcant

improvement in the intervention group’s attitude

toward math, engineering, and technology, as

depicted in Figure 4. In contrast, the control group

showed no signiﬁcant change in their attitude toward

math or engineering, as illustrated in Figure 5.

However, a slightly more positive attitude towards

technology was observed, which could potentially

be attributed to the use of the virtual laboratory or

computer, as well as the application of circuits in the

activity.

It is noteworthy that the intervention group

demonstrated a slight improvement in their attitude

towards math after the intervention, which was not

observed in the control group. This ﬁnding is

A STEM Virtual Lab to Improve Girls’ Attitude Towards Technology

131

Figure 4: Change of attitude from pre to post survey in the

intervention group.

Figure 5: Change of attitude from pre to post survey in the

control group.

particularly interesting as math is often viewed as

a challenging subject, and any positive change in

attitude towards it is a signiﬁcant achievement.

One of the ﬁnal questions in the survey

asked participants about their future career choices,

speciﬁcally whether they would like to pursue a career

in science, engineering, or technology. The results

showed that participants in the intervention group

had a more positive disposition towards pursuing a

career in engineering, science, and technology after

the intervention, as depicted in Figure 6. In contrast,

the control group only exhibited a more positive

disposition towards pursuing a career in technology,

as illustrated in Figure 7.

Finally the study found that students lacked

knowledge about how STEM areas can work together.

In the pre-survey, many of the girls responded with ”I

am not sure” when asked about this topic. However,

after the intervention, we observed an improvement

in this area, but only for the intervention group.

This ﬁnding may suggests that the STEM

intervention was effective not only in improving

students’ attitudes and career aspirations but also

in enhancing their understanding of how STEM

areas can work together. This is an essential

aspect of STEM education, as it encourages students

to develop a more holistic and interdisciplinary

approach to problem-solving. By demonstrating the

interconnectedness of STEM areas, students are more

likely to appreciate the importance of these ﬁelds and

the signiﬁcant role they play in shaping our world

inspiring them to pursue a career in these areas.

Figure 6: Change of attitude in the intervention group

regarding future career.

Figure 7: Change of attitude in the control group regarding

future career.

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5 CONCLUSION

This study proposes and assesses the efﬁcacy of a

science-based STEM virtual laboratory designed to

encourage girls to explore STEM ﬁelds and narrow

the gender gap in technology.

Overall, the STEM virtual lab offers a ﬂexible,

engaging, and interactive learning experience that

empowers students to gain a deeper understanding of

scientiﬁc concepts and principles. Through hands-on

experimentation and problem-solving, students can

develop the skills and knowledge necessary for future

careers in technology.

The results of this study suggest that girls have a

better attitude towards science than in other STEM

areas before the intervention in both control an

intervention group, which is consistent with the

literature and conﬁrm hypothesis (1). Girl’s attitude

towards engineering, math, and tech improved after

the intervention, consistently with hypothesis (2).

They also were more inclined towards a STEM career

after the intervention, cording hypothesis (3).

The intervention of the STEM virtual lab

resulted in a notable improvement in the students’

understanding of how different STEM areas work

together. Prior to the intervention, it was identiﬁed

that there was a lack of knowledge in this area, which

was subsequently addressed through the use of the

virtual lab.

It’s important to note that the STEM virtual lab is

a valuable educational tool for both boys and girls.

However, studies have shown that virtual labs can

be particularly engaging for girls, as they provide a

safe and supportive environment for them to explore

STEM concepts and develop their skills.

The science based approach of this lab may help

to break down gender stereotypes and encourage girls

to pursue STEM careers by providing opportunities

for them to engage in hands-on experimentation and

problem-solving. However boys can use it and

experiment its beneﬁts as well, and further research

is needed it.

6 LIMITATIONS AND FURTHER

WORK

We would like to acknowledge the limitations of this

work. The sample size was small and therefore results

are not generalizable to other contexts. More research

will be needed with a bigger cohort. We also used

self-report as a measure of attitude towards STEM

topics, while objective long-term data (such as actual

career choices) would be preferable to draw solid

conclusions.

Currently, the development of the STEM virtual

lab is focused on incorporating coding capabilities,

which will allow students of all genders to program

and manage experiments using the platform. A

longitudinal study with a larger sample of students is

planned for the future to investigate the persistence

of the observed change in attitude over time. In

addition, to better understand the impact of novelty on

students’ attitudes, further research will be conducted

to minimize its effect in future assessments. The

novelty of using a virtual lab may be inﬂuencing

students’ attitudes, and this factor will be taken into

account in the analysis of results.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This work was supported by Bank of America

Chile, Fundaci

on Ingeniosas and Agencia Nacional

de Investigaci

on y Desarrollo (ANID 21211839)

(ANID Fondecyt 1211210).

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